07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed
Russia claims to have shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over its territory. Five drones were destroyed over the border regions of Belgorod and Brjansk, and one over the Moscow region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry on Telegram. Additionally, two Ukrainian harvester drones were destroyed that had been heading towards the Black Sea port of Noworossijsk in the Krasnodar region. Noworossijsk is Russia's largest port on the Black Sea.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian casualties yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1180 losses on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. Accordingly, 16 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 other vehicles were destroyed. Two Russian air defense systems were allegedly destroyed by the Ukrainians, along with a missile. The number of dead or wounded Russian soldiers, according to the General Staff, has exceeded 546,000 since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
06:48 Putin arrives at the SOZ summit in Kazakhstan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan, according to Kremlin reports. He is participating in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOZ) partners in the capital Astana. During the two-day meeting, issues of regional security, defense, and cooperation will be discussed. The heads of state and government of the SOZ member states will discuss "the current situation and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," according to Moscow. Putin plans to hold bilateral talks, including with China and Turkey. Representatives from 16 countries are participating in the summit - among them India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected.
06:11 Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to Putin
According to the words of the chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Andrij Yermak, Ukraine continues to categorically reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war. "We are not ready to make compromises on important things and values," Yermak said to journalists and named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." The chief of staff reacts to a visit to Washington with statements from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could quickly end the conflict. The Ukrainian government is open for advice, however, to achieve a "just peace." Trump said during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had announced that Russia would end the war if Kiev was willing to surrender the territories in the east and south of the country that Moscow claims and occupies. On the Ukrainian assessment of Trump's handling of the war, Yermak says: "Honestly, I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA to provide new military aid for UkraineThe Ukrainian military is in urgent need of supplies. The USA will make military aid worth approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros) available to Ukraine in the near future to counter the Russian offensive war in Ukraine. This was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjeroв in Washington. The package includes "additional surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. Additionally, a "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will enable the USA to make munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems "available in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO building presence in KievThe NATO is expanding its civilian presence in the attacked Ukrainian capital, Kiev. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send special representatives to the city. The high-ranking official is to coordinate political and practical support from the alliance on site. The background is that the NATO intends to give the start signal for a new deployment to coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces at the upcoming summit in Washington. The headquarters for this should be built in Wiesbaden. Who will receive the new NATO post in Kiev is still unknown.
03:42 UN call for release of GershkovichExperts from the United Nations are calling for the immediate release of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in custody in Russia on espionage charges. "The detention of Evan Gershkovich is arbitrary" and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the experts write in a statement. In light of the circumstances of the case, the "immediate" release of Gershkovich is appropriate.
02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian deputy foreign ministerSerbian President Aleksandar Vucic received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Gruschko in Belgrade. He spoke with Gruschko about the bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and evaluated them as "very good," Vucic said in an Instagram post. He also thanked Russia "for its support for Serbia's territorial integrity, as well as in relation to the UN resolution on Srebrenica." Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2012, but continues to maintain good relations with the Kreml despite the Russian intervention in Ukraine.
01:29 A Russian court sentences a 19-year-old to twelve yearsA Russian court has sentenced a 19-year-old man to twelve years in prison for "high treason," after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army. "The Rostov Regional Court found the man guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year term in a penal colony," according to a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, taken up by Kremlin-controlled media. The teenager is alleged to have sent money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them have been incarcerated. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were targeted by repressions against war opponents in 2023.
00:20 One quarter of US citizens find US aid to Ukraine insufficientAlmost a quarter of Americans believe that the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine. This percentage has risen since November last year, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents believe that the United States is not providing enough aid, compared to 18 percent in November 2023, when the survey was last conducted. However, more Americans (31 percent) believe that the United States is providing too much aid, and 25 percent believe that the US aid is sufficient.
22:53 Lithuania reports airspace violation by Russian aircraftLithuania reports a violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified aircraft of the Russian airline Pobeda allegedly entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member unlawfully on the evening of June 30th and stayed there for approximately one minute. The representative of the Russian embassy was summoned, and the Russian authorities were urged to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea, as the aircraft was on its way from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Lithuania. The EU has closed its airspace as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
22:12 Survey in member states: High trust in NATO, low trust in ZelenskyNext week, NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary. In the member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is generally viewed favorably, according to a survey by Pew Research. On average in 13 countries, 63 percent of the population holds a positive opinion, 33 percent a negative. Germany is slightly above the average with 64 percent positive sentiment. The rating in Poland stands out: 91 percent have a positive image of the alliance there. Trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is low on average, at 40 percent, and has decreased in the member states in the past year. Poland stands out again, where the president's approval rating has dropped by 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48 percent. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54 percent.
21:27 Selenkyj declines Orban's peace proposal
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refuses peace talks proposal from Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orbán suggested a quick ceasefire which could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," according to him. "The President listened to him, but in response clarified Ukraine's stance and rejected the proposal," says a spokesperson from the Presidential Office. Previously, Kiev had rejected ceasefires with the explanation that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minors
Russia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, according to Ukraine. The recruitment contracts are reportedly signed with minors, taking effect upon their reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit thousands of teenagers with propaganda," says the Ukrainian agency "National Resistance Center": "We warn that any enemy on our territory will be eliminated." On occupied Ukrainian territory, Russia also employs minors, for instance, to manufacture drones.
You can read about previous developments here.
- In response to the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Volodymyr Selenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has declined a peace proposal from Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
- Russia has been carefully monitoring cyber activities in Ukraine, escalating the cyberwar that began alongside the military operations.
- During the SOZ summit in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized Russia's stance on the conflict, stressing that territorial concessions from Ukraine would be necessary to end the war.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claims to have shot down ten Ukrainian drones over its territory, marking an escalation in their aerial conflict.
- Following the attack on Ukraine, NATO has increased its military presence in Kiev, preparing to coordinate weapon deliveries and train the Ukrainian armed forces.
